Former Detroit Lions running back Jermar Jefferson has struggled to find his next opportunity after getting cut by the Tennessee Titans in August. The Lions' seventh-round pick in 2021 hasn’t played in many regular-season games in his NFL career, just 9 total, but that could be on the verge of changing.
Jefferson might get an opportunity to make his 2025 debut with the Arizona Cardinals, who are in desperate need of RB help due to the recent injury to Trey Benson. On Wednesday, the former Lions running back was signed to the Cardinals’ practice squad.
Benson was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury on Tuesday, which means the Cardinals will have to play musical chairs with their running back rotation.
As things stand, Arizona already has three viable options at its disposal in Emari Demercado, Michael Carter, and Zonovan Knight. However, if one of those guys gets hurt or doesn’t perform well, Jefferson could get that call-up from the practice squad.
Former Lions RB Jermar Jefferson Gets Lifeline from Cardinals in Week 5
The last time the former Oregon State running back played in an NFL regular-season game was in Week 17 with the Lions. Detroit was without an injured David Montgomery, which led to Craig Reynolds and Jefferson sharing the RB2 duties behind Jahmyr Gibbs.
Reynolds showed more than Jefferson, as he had 66 total yards on nine touches. However, the former seventh-round pick still contributed nine rushing yards on three carries in seven offensive snaps.
Jefferson made his 2024 debut the week prior against the Chicago Bears, where he posted 13 yards on three carries, along with one reception for 10 yards in five offensive snaps.
During his rookie season, the 5-foot-10 running back averaged 4.9 yards per carry (74 yards on 15 carries), while scoring two touchdowns on the ground. Jefferson didn’t get a lot of work in the passing game during his rookie season — four receptions (five targets) for 23 yards, but he has caught five of the six passes that have come his way during his career. So, he is at least a capable receiver out of the backfield.
Having that ability to be another pass-catching option out of the backfield, which the Cardinals like to do with their RBs, could help Jefferson get on the field sooner rather than later. Nonetheless, we’ll see if the ex-Lion can take advantage of this newfound opportunity and show that he does belong in the NFL, as Arizona can certainly use all the help it can get in the backfield.